Indian Country Today Media Network.com - Canada Dayhttp://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/tags/canada-day
enMy Land’s Only Borders Lie Around My Heart: A Canada Day Meditationhttp://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2015/07/01/my-lands-only-borders-lie-around-my-heart-canada-day-meditation
<fieldset class="field-group-fieldset group-opinions-body form-wrapper" id="node_opinion_rss_group_opinions_body"><legend><span class="fieldset-legend">Body</span></legend><div class="fieldset-wrapper"><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>There’s an absolutely wonderful song that was part of one of my favourite musicals, <em>Chess</em>. It’s called “Anthem” and it’s sung by the Russian chess champion on his move to another country. He’s accused of leaving his homeland and renouncing his Russian identity by moving away. Instead, he tells people that his land has no borders, no flags, no politics – instead, his land lives inside his heart.</p>
<p>As a Native and as someone who is learning more and more about my lost and denied culture, I have related to this song for years. Natives often have issues with patriotism because so much of Canada was built on colonialism and on fear, trickery, and massacre. After all, thousands of Native Canadians were sent to residential schools to be abused and to die. Thousands more lost their lands, lost their lives, lost their culture. As someone who was brought up as very patriotic, I find it hard to reconcile my pride and my love for my country with the atrocities that were brought against my people and continue to be brought against them.</p>
<p>So, instead, I focus on why I love Canada. It’s not about the red maple leaf, though seeing that on the world stage reminds me of the great things about our country. It’s not about maple syrup, or my love for poutine, or the wonderful cities and towns full of people that make up this country. Those are only tangential reasons why I love this country.</p>
<p>There are so many things that have happened to Canada this year that have made it hard for me to be proud of our country. I don’t believe in second-class citizenship. I don’t believe in curtailing rights in order to fight a nameless, faceless “terrorist” threat. I don’t believe in harming our environment for monetary gain, and as a Native, I most certainly don’t believe in denying a large part of Canada’s First Peoples help when it comes to living conditions or economy. I am disappointed in our politicians. I am disappointed in the Canadian people’s apparent apathy towards these things.</p>
<p>However, the spirit of my people and the essence of Canada – that strong work ethic that allowed us to endure years of abuse and terror from white settlers; that perseverance that allowed the other side of my family to eke out a living in an unforgiving climate; that inner core of inflexible steel that allowed the women in my family to live in situations that it would be easier to allow themselves to give up – that is what I love about Canada. We are a country of immigrants, of First Peoples, of people that want better for their children and our country. We are by far not the best country in the world, but we are always striving for better. We believe that we can be the best country in the world, and not because of our patriotism. We believe because we’re willing to do the work to make this land better.</p>
<p>So, I try not to pin my love for Canada on the borders and the flag – I pin it on the people who come here, looking for a better life. On those who were here all along, and yet fight because we know that the tide will turn and things will get better. On those that have been disenfranchised and still get up every morning to petition the government, to bring awareness to their cause, and to love this country – its mountains and forests, its lakes and its plains. We are the stewards of the land and we – all of us – have that responsibility to make our patriotism and our love count.</p>
<p>When it comes to Canada Day, my patriotism’s borders lie around my heart.</p>
<p><em>Miigwech</em>, Canada. Happy birthday.</p>
<p><em>Elizabeth Hawksworth is a Chippewa writer from Toronto. She has been published in the Huffington Post, </em>Washington Post<em>, and BlogHer. Her blog can be found at </em><a href="http://ElizabethaHawksworth.com" target="_blank">ElizabethaHawksworth.com</a><em>.</em></p>
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<div class="field field-name-field-short-title field-type-text field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Short title:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">A Canada Day Meditation</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-category field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Category:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/culture" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Culture</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-full-name field-type-text field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Full name:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Elizabeth Hawksworth</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/elizabeth-hawksworth" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Elizabeth Hawksworth</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/canada-day" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Canada Day</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author-image field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Author image:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/author/elizabeth-hawksworth" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Elizabeth Hawksworth</a></div></div></div>Wed, 01 Jul 2015 18:14:28 +0000mazecyrus160923 at http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.comhttp://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2015/07/01/my-lands-only-borders-lie-around-my-heart-canada-day-meditation#commentsIndigenous People Eschew Canada Day Celebrationshttp://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2015/07/01/indigenous-people-eschew-canada-day-celebrations-160917
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>It’s Canada Day north of the 49th Parallel, when bands play, fireworks light the sky, maple leaf flags flutter proudly in the breeze, and barbeques send tantalizing smells wafting into the summer heat.</p></div></div></div>Wed, 01 Jul 2015 17:15:00 +0000theresa160917 at http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.comhttp://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2015/07/01/indigenous-people-eschew-canada-day-celebrations-160917#commentsJoyous Celebration: Feting Canada With Indigenous Song, Dance and Arthttp://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2015/06/30/joyous-celebration-feting-canada-indigenous-song-dance-and-art-160905
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>Drumbeats thundered around the inner harbor in the heart of picturesque Victoria, British Columbia.</p></div></div></div>Tue, 30 Jun 2015 19:30:00 +0000theresa160905 at http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.comhttp://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2015/06/30/joyous-celebration-feting-canada-indigenous-song-dance-and-art-160905#commentsVideo: Oh Kanata! Indigenous Peoples Celebrate Canada Day With Proper Lyricshttp://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/07/01/video-oh-kanata-indigenous-peoples-celebrate-canada-day-proper-lyrics-155582
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>It’s Canada Day, and what better way to celebrate, especially in light of last week’s landmark land-Supreme Court land-claim ruling in the Tsilhqot’in First Nation’s favor, than with a version of the national anthem retooled with an indigenous per</p></div></div></div>Tue, 01 Jul 2014 14:30:00 +0000theresa155582 at http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.comhttp://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/07/01/video-oh-kanata-indigenous-peoples-celebrate-canada-day-proper-lyrics-155582#commentsCanada Day Celebrated, From Outer Space to the Very Soilhttp://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2013/07/01/canada-day-celebrated-outer-space-very-soil-150222
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>Aboriginal performers are in the lineup on Parliament Hill as Canada celebrates its 146th birthday on July 1.</p></div></div></div>Mon, 01 Jul 2013 20:30:00 +0000theresa150222 at http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.comhttp://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2013/07/01/canada-day-celebrated-outer-space-very-soil-150222#commentsAboriginals Seek to Raise Awareness of Role in Country's Formation as Canada Day Is Markedhttp://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2012/07/01/aboriginals-seek-raise-awareness-role-countrys-formation-canada-day-marked-121629
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>Canada Day—that country’s equivalent of the Fourth of July, the U.S.'s Independence Day—is fraught with ambivalence for aboriginals, and perhaps even more so this year, as the country marks the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812.</p></div></div></div>Sun, 01 Jul 2012 22:19:02 +0000theresa121629 at http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.comhttp://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2012/07/01/aboriginals-seek-raise-awareness-role-countrys-formation-canada-day-marked-121629#commentsOh Canada! The Aboriginal Wayhttp://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2011/07/02/oh-canada-aboriginal-way-41331
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>Aboriginals found their own way to celebrate Canada Day on July 1, be they Philippine immigrants showcasing their indigenous heritage, Inuit in Nunavut and Nunavik partying, or First Nations veterans gearing up to celebrate the upcoming 200th anni</p></div></div></div>Sun, 03 Jul 2011 00:55:22 +0000theresa41331 at http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.comhttp://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2011/07/02/oh-canada-aboriginal-way-41331#comments